The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training. The 36-year-old struggled during his time with the Cardinals in 2013, slashing a meager .158/.238/.193 with three RBI in 57 at-bats. With his versatility, he could become a valuable addition to the Marlins provided he has anything left in the tank. Fri, Jan 24, 2014 07:33:00 PM

Signed to a two-year, $5 million deal during the offseason, Wigginton has done very little in limited playing time with the Cardinals this season, batting just .158/.238/.193 in 63 plate appearances. The 35-year-old should latch on elsewhere pretty quickly now that he can sign for the prorated major league minimum. The Cardinals have called up catch Rob Johnson to replace him on the active roster. Tue, Jul 9, 2013 01:03:00 PM

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals are weighing making a roster move involving Ty Wigginton.

The Cardinals signed Wigginton to a two-year, $5 million contract during the winter, but he hasn't drawn much playing time and owns a miserable .158/.238/.193 batting line in 63 plate appearances. The 35-year-old could be designated for assignment, but Strauss hears that the Cardinals have also explored the possibility of getting him to agree to a minor league assignment. A roster move could be made before Tuesday's game. Tue, Jul 9, 2013 10:46:00 AM

Depth Charts

J.T. Realmuto (back) said Monday morning that he is confident he'll be fine for the start of the regular season.

Realmuto has been sidelined for a week because of a lower back contusion, but he's due to ramp up his activity level over the next couple of days. "I'll be ready for Opening Day," he told reporters Monday. "I'm very confident, yes ... It's definitely getting better." The 27-year-old ranks as a top-four fantasy catcher leading into 2018 after batting .278/.332/.451 with 17 home runs and eight stolen bases in 141 games last year.

Justin Bour's awful spring continued as he went 0-for-3 and struck out three times against the Astros on Saturday.

He did walk and score a run in the contest but that isn't much consolation considering his slash line sits at .143/.242/.179 with zero homers through 13 games. It's just spring training and doesn't mean much in the big picture but the team would surely like to see one of their few remaining plus hitters get rolling soon. He batted .289 with 25 homers and 83 RBI in 108 games last year and should see a big bump in playing time this season.

Martin Prado (knee) had a setback while running and will not be ready for the start of the 2018 regular season.

Prado needed season-ending surgery on his right knee last July, after batting just .250/.279/.357 through 147 plate appearances, but the veteran third baseman was expected to be an everyday player for the Marlins entering the 2018 campaign. It's unclear when he might be ready. Brian Anderson will fill in at the hot corner in the early going, per Marlins manager Don Mattingly.

Magneuris Sierra came out of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets due to left hamstring tightness.

Sierra felt something in his hamstring after breaking out of the box on a groundout back to the mound in the bottom of the second inning. If it turns out to be a strain, he might get off to a delayed start this season. The 21-year-old center field prospect was likely going to be ticketed for Double-A Jacksonville or Triple-A New Orleans either way.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday that Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) is not expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill suggested last week that Chen could have a spot in the club's Opening Day rotation, but Mattingly pumped the brakes on that idea on the first official day of spring training. Chen has been trying to rehab a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow, rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. He's due $10 million in 2018 plus an $8 million deferred bonus. Chen also carries a $20 million guarantee in 2019 and a $22 million guarantee in 2020. Derek Jeter couldn't shed this albatross.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Monday morning that Ellington would go for an MRI, but it wasn't deemed necessary. The Marlins are hopeful that rest will do the trick, though it's unclear how long he'll be shut down.

Brett Graves left Tuesday's Grapefruit League game with a left oblique strain.

These injuries are known to sideline players for weeks at a time, so Graves could begin the year on the disabled list. He's a Rule 5 pick, so the Marlins probably wouldn't mind going that route in order to stash him.